Twistin' My Melon Man

03.15.14

Bez To Stand For Parliament

Happy Mondays mascot announces plan to run in British elections

He was, in his day, one of the great totems of Manchester's 'Madchester' rave scene.

But now Mark Berry, aka Bez, the official mascot of Shaun Ryder's band the Happy Mondays, who became a celebrated icon of the eighties despite the fact he did nothing but stand on stage dancing (if you can call walking jauntily backwards and forwards whilst playing the maraccas 'dancing') is planning to stand for election as an MP.

Yes, it’s possible that winning Celebrity Big Brother has gone to his head.

Bez, who was known to wear T-shirts saying, "Drop Acid Not Bombs' said he plans to contest the constituency of Salford in Greater Manchester after former Labour Cabinet minister Hazel Blears said she was stepping down at the next election.

He told the Manchester Evening News that he wanted to 'stir things up' and said one of his policies would be a ‘permacultural society where we'll end illness and get everybody back to an alkaline state’ thereby tackling cancer and dementia.

He told the paper: ‘If you're voting for me, you're voting as a protest about what's happening in the world at the moment.”

Bez will kick-off his political career by joining anti-fracking protesters at Barton Moss this weekend before taking part in a protest the following day.

He added: “I’ve been saying we need a revolution and there’s no good shouting about it when you’re not actually doing anything.”

His policies for his future constituency of Salford are less clear, however.

“I don’t know yet, I’m in the midst of writing it up,” he said.

No doubt he will be able to call on his band mate Shaun Ryder for support in his campaign.